Wire crimping and twisting tool



WIRE CRIMPING AND- TWISTING "TOOL Filed bem 11, l1940 I INVENTCR: J; /2 .`Sie*brav/706!I Patented Apr. 7, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE WIRE CRIMPING ANDTWISTING TOOL John R. Siebrandt, Kansas City, Mo.

Application December l1, 194.0,v Serial No; 369,590 Claims. (Cl. IL10-121) The present invention relates to surgical appliances, .and particularly to instruments used in the reduction of bone fractures.

Accordingly, the invention has special application to surgical operations using wire fixation? material, and relates specifically to means for acting on such wire material for crimping and securing the same in binding relation to' the fragments of the bone fracture. l

It is therefore the primary object of the invention to provide a simple instrument which is adapted for convenient and efficient operation in both clamping the ends of the wire after the same has been positioned in proper relation to the fracture and thereafter twisting said wire ends for tightening and fixing the same in said relation.

For accomplishing this object I have devised a convenient manual type of instrument formed l with cooperative crimping jaws, one of which provided with guiding .and spacing means for receiving and guiding the wire terminals into position between said crimping jaws which are thereupon manually operable to crimp said terminals and also to twist the same by convenient rotative movement of the device to the required extent.

The device is constructed of a minimum number of parts and of a most convenient design for gripping by the hand of the operator, and of substantially no structural parts that are likely to" get out of order or require repairs of any sort.

With the foregoing general objects in view, the invention will now be described by reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating a sim-N ple and practical form of construction well adapted for the purposes of my invention, after whichv those features and combinations thereof deemed to be novel and patentable will be particularly set forth and claimed.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating an instrument constructed in accordance with the present invention and showing the method of using the same;

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional thereof;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional detail view (on a larger scale) showing the crimping jaws just prior to crimping the wire terminals; and

Figure 4 is a similar view of the same parts following the completion of the crimping action.

In the reduction of bone fractures, one type of fixation material used is a suitable grade of iiexible wire, which is extended about the bone fragments .at the fracture, and the ends of the View results.

wire then twisted and trimmed for binding the fragments, in a well known manner. The present invention aims to provide very simple and conveniently operated means for more efficiently carrying out this twisting and securing of the wire terminals by accomplishing that operation in a speedier manner 4as well as with neater Referring now to the drawing in detail, the improved'instrument is illustrated as comprising a pair of arms 6 and 'I connected by a bow-shaped portion 8 which is preferably made integral with corresponding ends of said arms 6 and 1.

The free ends of the arms 6 and l (being the ends opposite their connecting bow 8) are bent or slightly converge toward each other and terminate in wire-crimping jaws, I0 and I I, respectively. The inner or working face of the jaw I0 is formed with a pair of V-shaped ribs or teeth I2; and for coo-peration with said teeth I2 the opposed working face of the jaw II is formed with a pair of similarly shaped recesses I4. The material forming the bow or connection portion 8 is suitably spring tempered so that the arms 6 and 'I are in normally open or spread relation with the teeth I2 .and recesses I4 separated sufliciently to accommodate the passage of the wire fixation material I5 between them, as clearly represented in Figure 3.

The outer end of the jaw II projects past the end of the jaw I0 and is formed with a transversely extending lug portion I6 Awhich is thus adapted to clear the end of the jaw I0 in the operation of the device, as shown in Figures 3 and 4. This lug I6 is provided with spaced wirereceiving openings I8, the centers of which openings are in approximate axial alinementl with the top of the ridge or tooth I4 between the spaces I4. The drilling of said holes I8 in the lug I6 also produces grooves or channels 2l] in the jaw II communicating with the first or outer space or recess I4 and serving initially to help direct or guide the parallel strands of wire, in spaced relation, into the space between the ribs or teeth I2 and the recesses I4 when the jaws are separated for the insertion of the wire terminals.

The means for actuating the jaws to produce the wire clamping and crimping action comprises a lever having a handle portion 22 and cam projections or ngers 24, said lever being fulcrumed upon a pin 25 in one end of a post 26, the other end of which is riveted--as indicated at 2'I-to the arm 'I. The other arm B is provided with an opening 28 through which said post 26 projects and for providing the necessary clearance for the movements of the arm 6 as produced by the action of said lever. The arrangement is such that the cam fingers operate against the outer face of the arm 6 at opposite sides of the opening 28. The handle 22 is shaped so as to lie Aagainst and fit snugly over the arm 6 adjacent to the bow portion 8, after operation to produce the wire clamping and crimping action of the jaws; and the fingers 24 also hold the handle 22 in outwardly projecting relation when the jaws of the device are open, as shown in Figure 1.

In the use of the appliance, the handle .22, is raised so that the device is in opened condition as shown in Figure 1; and after the wire I5 has been looped about the bone fragments 30 of the fracture (according to any approved method of operating) the ends of the wire are inserted through the openings |8-one of the wire terminals being preferably shorter than the other for facilitating such insertion. These spaced' openings and the adjacent grooves or channels 20 thus, besides directing and facilitating the insertion of the wires, also maintain the said terminal portions in parallel and spaced relation as required for both the kcrimping action and the subsequent twisting operation. When the terminals of the wire have` been projected inwardly past the jaws I and Il, the handle 22 is operated into closed position as in Figure 2, which operates to crimp the wire terminals by the closing of the jaws. This crimping of the wire terminals is obviously for the purpose of providing a secure, non-slipping hold upon the wire by means of which the twisting operation may be carried out without any danger of losing grip upon the wire. With this secure grip or hold upon the wire, therefore, the device may be conveniently rotated by the operator for coiling or twisting the end portions of the wire between the tool and the fracture, for the purpose of effecting a firm and permanent union of the ends of theA wire and thus producingra secure bond around the fracture. Obviously lin this operation upon the wire its end portions are maintained in continuously separated relation for facilitating the twisting action until it is completed as represented in Figure `2. The instrument is then released by raising the handle 22, so that the ends of the wire may be withdrawn, and the coiled or twisted portion snipped to Vthe proper length from the fracture.

It will therefore be apparent that I have devised a practical and eflicient appliance for carrying out the desired objects ofV my invention. It may be merely added that the number of teeth and recesses on the jaws' represents-.just thev proper arrangement necessary for the carrying out of the clamping and crimping action; that is, to permit the wire to accommodate itself along the crimped outline represented in Figures 2 and 4-which would not be the case with a greater number of teeth and recesses. which would prevent the wire from readily assuming or conforming to such an outline, whereas a lesser number would not afford a suliiciently secure grip upon the wire. It may moreover be stated that the appliance may be constructed of any suitable metallic material, but is preferably given an appropriate finish (as by chrome plating) to preserve it from rust or corrosion.

While I have shown and described what I regard as an entirely practical and satisfactory embodiment of the improved construction, I wish to be understood as expressly reserving the right to make all such changes or modifications as may fairly be deemed to fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A wire clamping and twisting appliance comprising a pair of arms carrying cooperative clamping jaws, one of said jaws having a right angle extension formed with spaced eyelets adapted to guide separate strands of wire in between said jaws and maintain said strands in spaced parallel relation, and means for effecting closing movement of said jaws to clamp the wire therebetween.

l 2. A wire clamping and twisting appliance `comprising a pair of cooperative clamping jaws -formed with mating teeth and recesses, one of said jaws having an extension formed with spaced eyelets adapted to guide separate strands of wire in between said jaws and maintain said strands in spaced parallel relation, and means for effecting closing movement-of said jaws to clamp and crimp the wire therebetween.

3. A wire clamping and twisting appliance comprising a pair of cooperative clamping jaws formed with mating teeth and recesses, one of said jaws having an` extension formed with spaced eyelets'and channels or grooves connecting said openings with the first of said recesses and adapted to guide separate strands of wire in between said jaws and maintain said strands in spaced parallel relation, and meansfor effecting closing movement of said jawsl to clamp and crimp the wire therebetween.

4. A wire clamping and twisting appliance comprising a pair of spring connected arms provided with cooperative wire-clamping jaws, one of said jaws having an integral extension formed with spaced eyelets for guiding separate` strands of wire in between said jaws and maintaining said strands in spaced parallel relation, and means for effecting closing movement of said jaws to clamp the wire therebetween.

5. A wire clamping and twisting appliance comprising a pair of arms carrying cooperative wire-clamping jaws, means for guiding separate strands of wire in between said jaws and maintaining said strands in spaced parallel relation, and a lever pivotally supported by one of said arms and provided with cam-acting ngers operative to engage and actuate the other arm for closing said jaws into clamping engagement with said wire.

JOHN R. SIEBRANDT. 

